Immigrants from the Middle East (to 1916)

1850s: Massacres of Orthodox Christians by the Ottoman Turks in Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East see a great displacement of Orthodox from these regions.

1860s: Numbers of Arabic speaking Orthodox arrive in Australia and some move from there to New Zealand.

1880s: Discovery of gold, especially around Dunedin, sees significant arrivals of Orthodox from Eastern Europe and the Middle East in New Zealand. Dunedin becomes financial capital of New Zealand.

1890s: Russian, Syrian, and Greeks, set up joint community worship groups where all involved are welcome.

1898: Greek speaking Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East deposed for prohibiting services in the common language.

1899: Patriarch of Constantinople refuses to recognise newly elected Arabic speaking Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and agitates against all Arabic speakers. This fractures the Orthodox communites around the world.

Local communities in Australia consider Patriarch of Jerusalem neutral in this dispute and ask him to send out priests for Australasia. Priests sent, one each to Sydney and Melbourne.

1913: Fr Nicholas Shehadie appointed Patriarchal Exarch for Australia and New Zealand by Patriarch Gregorious Haddad of Antioch.

Archimandrite Nicholas (Manavitch) leaves New Zealand for Sydney, Australia. No priest left in New Zealand.

1916: Exarch Nicholas Shehadie visits New Zealand for 2-3 months. Conducts services throughout New Zealand. After his departure, again there is no Orthodox priest in New Zealand.

Immigrants from Russia and Turkey (1917-1947)

1917: Bolshevik revolution in Russia sees large numbers of Russians and allied peoples displaced and fleeing genocidal massacres there and in satelite countries over the next 10 years. Many flee to western Europe, and then the Americas; others, via Asian Russia, flee to China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australasia.

1919: Exarchate of Australia and New Zealand (Antiochian) is confirmed as permanent by Patriarch of Antioch.

1920s: Millions of people displaced due to genocidal massacres in modern Turkey following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Large numbers of Orthodox flee to the Americas and Australasia.

1924 Mar 7: Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand established by Ecumenical Patriarchate.

1937: Archimandrite Antonious (Mobayed) (Antiochian) arrives in New Zealand and stays for several months. Asks local Anglican clergy, who agree, to care for local Orthodox during his absences. Fr Antonious last visits New Zealand in 1939.

Immigrants from the Middle East and Greece (1948-1974)

1948 to 1955: Following the Second World War large numbers of Orthodox are again displaced from their former homelands. Arabic speaking Orthodox move out of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt to the new world, especially where their compatriots had already established settlements generations before. Greek speaking Orthodox move out of mainland Greece, and especially the Aegean Islands, and from Egypt, to previously populated new world countries. Many move to New Zealand.

1974 Dec 30: First local Serbian Orthodox hierarch of Australia and New Zealand, Bishop Nikolai (Mrdja), enthroned in Australia.

Immigrants from Lebanon and Warsaw Pact Nations (1975-1999)

1975-1985: Lebanese Civil War sees displacement of large numbers of Arabic speaking Orthodox to the new world countries, especially where communities had been previously established. Significant numbers arrive in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin.

1980: Mitred Archpriest Alexey Godyaew retires.

1984: Fr Jack is transferred to Christchurch.

1987: Allan Eades ordained deacon and then priest by Bishop Gibran in Auckland, who changes his name to Ilyan, the Arabic equivalent. Fr Ilyan Eades is appointed Rector of the Antiochian Church in Auckland, moving there from Te Awamutu in the Waikato Region.

1991-2001: Large numbers of citizens of formerly Communist countries emigrate to countries where communities had been established in prior generations. Significant numbers move to New Zealand, especially to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The three Russian parishes each grow from a few dozen members to 1-2 thousand each, with 5000 in Auckland. Romanian-speaking community in New Zealand greatly strengthened by new arrivals.

1992 Oct: Fr Ilyan Eades transferred to be the rector of St Michael Church, Dunedin. He also establishes and pastors Invercargill mission.

1996 Nov: The first Pastoral visit by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to New Zealand

Dec: Fr Ilyan Eades again declines an offer to join the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Zealand, with full-time salary to be paid by Greek government.

Dec 4: John Hubbard ordained to the diaconate to serve at St George Church (Antiochian) in Auckland.

2006 May: Sixth Clergy Conference of Australia and New Zealand (Antiochian) held in Wollongong, NSW, Australia. New Zealand deanery meeting in Wollongong presided over by Met. Abp Paul has wide-ranging discussions for the future of the Orthodox Church in New Zealand. Further discussions held in plenary session at the Sixth Clergy Conference in Wollongong, Australia.